Valve device for feeding bottles



July 17, 1934. A. A. T. CRESER ET AL 1,966,614

VALVE DEVICE FOR FEEDING BOTTLES Filed July 31, 1953 R 4 1 1 5924. d? Ry 5.

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Patented July 17, 1934 are VALVE DEVICE FOR FEEDING BOTTLES Alfred Augustus Thomas Creser, Richmond, and George Barker Baker, London, England Application July 31, 1933, Serial No. 683,062 In Great Britain August 3, 1932 8 Claims. (Cl. 21511) This invention relates to improvements in valve devices for the purpose of admitting air into infants feeding bottles.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved valve device which is self-contained, is applicable to existing feeding bottles and can be easily removed for cleaning purposes when necessary.

Another object is to provide a device such that the admission of air into the feeding bottle can be definitely determined beforehand by the setting of an adjustable member. A further object is to provide a rotary control member co-operating with air passages, of which one is provided 15. with a non-return valve, so that the admission of air through said passages can be regulated within very fine limits.

The invention is hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:-

26 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an infants feeding bottle having the improved adjustable valve device with one form of rotary control member.

Fig. 2 is an end view of this valve device.

Fig. 3 is a section, on a slightly larger scale,

of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows the component parts of this valve device, and Fig. 4a is a plan view of one of said components.

Fig. 5 is an end view of a spring retaining clip 0 detached.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing another form of rotary control member.

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 8 is an end view of modified forms of one of the com- 5 ponents of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of two of the components of Fig. 4 made in one piece.

The feeding bottle 0. shown in Fig. 1 is provided at the delivery end a with a removable 49 rubber teat b of the well known kind and at the opposite or air-inlet end a with one form of the removable valve device held in place by a spring clip c.

This valve device in the arrangement of Figs.

1, 2, 3 and 4, comprises a metal or other rigid seating disk or support cl shown with a bevelled edge (1 and of a rotatable metal or other rigid disk 6 shown with a milled periphery, both the disks being mounted on a central stem I. The

59 disk e is thus engaged with disk 11, so as to be rotatable thereon. This stem f has a screw threaded. portion whereon can be fitted a loclnng nut g, and a shouldered body portion f provided with an obliquely bored air passage h (see Fig. 8).

The stem ,7" isv in advance of the disk d and the body portion f is to rear of said disk. The body portion f is cylindrical except for a lateral fiat and is covered with a pure rubber tube or sheath 2' which extends over the outlet from the air passage h and forms a non-return valve. This rubber tube 1' is shown in Fig. 4 as having a shoulder i and an annulus i the annulus acting as a sealing joint between the valve device and the rim of the air inlet end a of the bottle a. This annulus 2' thus bears against the fixed disk (1 on the side opposite remote from the rotary disk e.

The setting disk or support (1 is provided with an evenly progressive or shelving but shallow groove d in part of its surface. This groove is part-circular and of a depth which descends evenly from its top (1 flush with the surface of the disk d down to the end d of the groove. This groove d d leads at its end 11 by a radial transfer channel y to the air passage it, so that the groove d d is at all times in communication with the inner end of passage h. It will be noted that the groove is not fully circular and is not continued from the left of channel a to the beginning of the groove d As stated, this shelv ing groove d d becomes gradually shallower in depth from its deepest end d to its opposite end where it merges with the upper surface of the disk d.

A perforation e in the rotatable disk 6 admits atmospheric air to the shallow but shelving groove 01 (as shown in Fig. 3) and such air passes along the said groove and the channel :1 and thence to the oblique passage h. This groove d is from its commencement up to the channel 7' concentric with the axis of the rotatable perforated disk e, the perforation e being at the same radius as the groove (1 so that the perforation e is constantly in communication with the said groove. By turning the disk e so that the hole e is no longer in register with any part of the groove d (1 the supply of air is cut oif.

By varying the position of the rotatable disk 6, the passage for the admission of air from 6 into the groove 01 d can be fully opened or can be restricted, with a result that air is admitted freely or air enters only with diificulty, according to the position of the perforation e over the partcircular shelving and shallow groove 02 By the rotation of the disk 6 the passage for the leakage of air to the bottle is thus progressively varied and regulated. Air from the passage h leaks into the bottle a from under the pure rubber sheath 2. being drawn in by the part-vacuum above the liquid in the bottle, the said part-vacuum being formed as the liquid is sucked out through the teat b.

The disk e is provided with an indicator or pointer such as an arrow 6 punched on the disk 6 and the seating disk or support d is scaled upon its bevelled periphery (1 shown in Fig. 4a, so that any desired position of the hole e relatively to the length of the groove (1 d can be quickly obtained. The rotary control member 6 is ar ranged in advance of the rubber-sheathed air passage h forming the non-return valve and can be easily rotated for the purpose of adjusting the position of the hole e relatively to the groove d (1 by means of its milled periphery when the lock nut g has been slackened.

The improved valve device is held in position upon the entrance to the bottle by any suitable means. For example, we have shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5, a spring wire clip 0 pivoted at its ends in holes g in the nut g and having arms 0 0 adapted to engage below a bead or flange 07 upon the bottle a. This clip can be easily sprung into position or removed therefrom and remains secured to the nut g.

In Figure 6, we have shown a cam-shaped ro tatable control member n pivotally mounted upon the stem 1, the periphery n of this cam co-operating with an air hole 6 in the fixed support or seating disk d. This hole e leads to a channel such as 7' in constant communication with an air delivery passage such as h in a rubber-sheathed body portion as f In other words, the cam it replaces the disk e of Fig. 3 and the air inlet 6 is in the fixed support d. By turning the camshaped member n, the admission of air to hole 6 and to the air passage It can be regulated and controlled, or the hole 6 can be so masked by the cam n that the air supply is cut off entirely. A nut such as g locks the cam n in the desired position relatively to the hole e-.

In the foregoing example, we provide the body j having the air passage h and rubber tube or sheath 2', with a flat surface f because we have found by experiment that such flat surface affords excellent results as regards the regulated escape of air from the air passage h.

The rubber sheathing forms a non-return valve for either the air or the liquid in the bottle, and may be cylindrical but preferably it comprises a cylindrical portion 2' which is secured to a rubber annulus i with an intermediate shoulder 2' In the modfication of Fig. 7, the air passage h is oblique and extends from one end to the other end of body portion f but the rubber sheath 1' is closed or capped at its end i and this cap 2' extends across the delivery outlet from air passage h. Fine holes 1' are made laterally in the sheath 2 so that air drawn in through the end a of the bottle, escapes from passage it through one or more of the holes i In this arrangement, the milk or other liquid in the bottle a does not come into contact with the metal body F.

In the arrangement of Fig. 8, the tubular rubber sheath i which fits over the body portion f is provided with a cross-bar or strip of rubber i which extends over the delivery end of the air passage h and air drawn in escapes on either side of the cross-bar or strip i as viewed in Fig. 8,

Whilst we have shown them separate in Figs. 3 and 4, the two parts at and I respectively may be made in one piece, if desired. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 9.

It will be noted that this improved valve has no moving parts whilst in operation, except for the slight movement of the rubber sheath or tube, and that by means of the scale d and pointer e very fine settings can be obtained, with consequent delicate alterations in the timed regulation of the admission of air into the bottle and of the delivery of the contents from the bottle.

What we claim is l. A feeding-bottle valve-device comprising a control disk having an air passage therethrough, a fixed support for said disk, means for engaging said control disk with said fixed support to enable said disk to rotate upon said support, an air passage through said support, the air passage in said support including a groove of gradually shelving depth, said air passages being adapted to be brought into register, means for securing said valve device to the said bottle, and means for rotatably displacing the said control disk upon said fixed support so that the air passage in said control disk can register with the said shelving 95 groove at any one of a plurality of points in the length of said groove.

2. A feeding bottle valve device, including a rotary control disk, a fixed supporting disk, a stem projecting from said fixed disk and forming a pivot for said rotary disk, a body member also projecting from said fixed disk, a fiat upon said body member, a rubber sheath mounted on said body member, an inlet passage for air through said rotary disk, a discharge passage for air through said fixed disk and body member, said discharge passage leading to said flat and being covered by said rubber sheath, a part-circular groove of shelving depth formed partly around said fixed disk, and a transfer channel in said fixed disk, said channel extending from the partcircular groove to said discharge passage, the inlet passage in said rotary disk being adapted to be brought into register with said part-circular shelving groove by the rotation of said rotary disk.

3. In a feeding-bottle valve-device, a rotary control disk, a supporting disk, said control disk being mounted for rotation on said supporting disk, an inner air passage through one of said disks and an outer air passage through the other of said disks, said inner and outer passages being adapted to be brought into communication by rotation of said control disk, a non-return valve located at the outlet from said inner air passage, and means for detachably securing said valve device to said bottle.

4. A feeding-bottle valve-device comprising a body portion, an air passage through said body portion, a rubber sheath for said body portion, said sheath covering the outlet from said air passage, a supporting disk upon said body portion, a stem projecting from said supporting disk, a rotary disk, said rotary disk rotatably mounted on said stem, an air passage through said sup- 135 porting disk, said passage in said supporting disk including a part-circular groove of gradually shelving depth and a transfer channel leading from said groove to the air passage in said body portion, an air inlet through said rotary disk and i1 40 adapted to register with the part-circular groove in said supporting disk, a scale upon one of said disks and an indicator upon the other of said disks, and means carried by said stem for holding the rotary disk locked against said supporting 145 disk.

5'. A feeding-bottle valve device comprising a rotary disk, a fixed disk, a screw-threaded stem projecting in one direction from said fixed disk,

a body portion projecting in the opposite direc- 150 tion from said fixed disk, a lateral fiat upon said body portion, said stem forming a pivotal mounting for said rotary disk, air passages through said fixed disk and body portion, the air passage through said. body portion having an outlet in said flat, a rubber sheath for the body portion extending across said outlet, an air inlet through said rotary disk, said air inlet being adapted to register with the air passage through said fixed disk, a lock nut upon said screw-threaded stern, and means for detachably securing said valve device in operative position upon said feeding bottle.

6. A feeding-bottle valve device comprising a rotary disk, a fixed disk, a screw-threaded stem projecting in one direction from said fixed disk, a body portion projecting in the opposite direction from said fixed disk, said stem forming a pivotal mounting for said rotary disk, air passages through said fixed disk and body portion, the air passage through said body portion having an outlet, a rubber sheath for the body portion, said sheath extending across said outlet, an annulus formed with said rubber sheath, said annulus bearing against the said fixed disk, an air inlet through said rotary disk, said air inlet being adapted to register with the air passage through said fixed disk, a lock nut upon said screwthreaded stem, and a spring clip pivotally mounted on said lock nut and adapted to engage said feeding bottle.

7. A feeding-bottle valve device comprising a rotary disk, a fixed disk, a screw-threaded stem projecting in one direction from said fixed disk, a cylindrical body portion projecting in the opposite direction from said fixed disk, said stem forming a pivotal mounting for said rotary disk,

a lateral fiat upon said body portion, air passages extending through said fixed disk and body portion, the air passage through said body portion being oblique and having an outlet in said lateral fiat, a rubber sheath for the body portion extending across said outlet, an air inlet through said rotary disk, said air inlet being adapted to register with the air passage through said fixed disk, the air passage in said fixed disk including a partcircular shallow groove of shelving depth, a lock nut upon said screw-threaded stern, and means carried by the lock nut for removably securing said valve device upon said bottle.

8. A feeding-bottle valve-device comprising a rotatable disk, a fixed disk, a screw-threaded stem projecting in one direction from said fixed disk, a cylindrical body portion projecting in the opposite direction from said fixed disk, said stem forming a pivotal mounting for said rotatable disk, a lateral fiat upon said cylindrical body portion, air passages through said fixed disk and body portion, the air passage in said fixed disk including a part-circular shallow groove of shelving depth and the air passage through said body portion having an outlet in said lateral fiat, a rubber sheath for the body portion extending across said outlet, and air inlet through said rotary disk, said air inlet being adapted to register with the air passage through said fixed disk, a clamping nut upon said screw-threaded stern, and an annulus integrally connected to said rubber sheath by a shoulder, said annulus bearing against the said fixed disk on the side remote from the rotary disk.

ALFRED AUGUSTUS THOMAS CRESER. GEORGE BARKER BAKER. 

